Never Heard of Umu? GYULI Grew Up Slurping It in Soy Milk Broth
said to be sliced into soy milk broth
Walk through a Jeju market or a back-alley eatery and you might come across a bowl of clear, translucent jelly. On Jeju, this jelly is called 'umu,' said to be made by boiling down umutgasari — a seaweed that grows on the island's rocky shores — for a long time and letting the resulting liquid set as it cools. While bomal and seongge, introduced earlier, are said to draw their ingredients from shellfish and sea creatures gathered off the rocks and out of the water, umu is said to be made entirely from seaweed, setting it apart as a food with an altogether different character. In summer, it's said to have been sliced and served in soy milk broth or a roasted grain drink, prized as a local treat that cooled the heat thanks to its refreshing, smooth texture. Today, let's take a closer look at umu, said to have kept Jeju summers cool for generations.
So What Exactly Is Umu?
Umu is said to be made from umutgasari, a type of red algae. Umutgasari is said to grow on rocky shores along Jeju and the south coast, harvested according to the summer tides. Once gathered, it's said to be washed clean and dried, then boiled in water for a long stretch until a sticky, gelatinous liquid is drawn out. Straining and cooling that liquid is said to let it slowly set into a clear jelly. Unlike jellies made from grains or nuts, such as acorn jelly or mung bean jelly, umu is said to stand out for being made purely from seaweed pulled from the sea.
Once fully set, umu is said to have a texture that's springy yet gently wobbly. Rather than something you chew, it's said to be prized for how smoothly it goes down, without a strong flavor or aroma of its own, which is said to be why it pairs so well with almost any drink or broth. Unlike bomal or seongge, which carry a strong briny sea scent, umu is said to have a mild, understated taste, giving it a distinctive place among Jeju's summer foods.
Umu is said to be a clear jelly made by boiling down umutgasari the sea provided, left to set just as it is — a quiet way to cool down the summer.
— 🍊 GYULIServed in Soy Milk Broth, or a Roasted Grain Drink
The most representative way to enjoy umu is said to be served in soy milk broth. Cubes of umu are said to be floated in a nutty broth made from ground boiled soybeans, topped with ice for a refreshing chill. The nuttiness of the broth combined with umu's smooth texture is said to have made for a bowl that quenched both thirst and hunger on a sweltering summer day. The broth's thickness and seasoning are said to have varied slightly from household to household, making it a dish passed down more through individual hands than through any single fixed recipe.
Beyond soy milk broth, umu is also said to be served in a roasted grain drink called misugaru. Barley and various grains are said to be roasted and finely ground into misugaru, mixed with water, with sliced umu added in to be sipped down almost like a drink. It's said to carry a lighter, slightly sweeter taste than soy milk broth, and is said to have been treated as both a drink and a snack for quickly cooling down after fieldwork or diving. Both methods are said to reflect the wisdom Jeju locals relied on to get through the hot summer.
Why It's Said to Have Become a Jeju Summer Staple
Umu is said to have become a Jeju summer staple largely because its main ingredient was easy to come by. Umutgasari is said to have grown fairly commonly along Jeju's coastline, so gathering it off the rocks in summer and boiling it down into jelly is said to have been a natural part of everyday life. Back when refrigeration wasn't widely available, umu served chilled in soy milk broth or misugaru is said to have been one of the few reliable ways to beat the heat.
These days, fewer households are said to gather umutgasari and make umu themselves, but it's said to still be found at Jeju markets and local eateries. Some places are said to lean into the nuttiness of the soy milk broth, while others are said to bring out the toasty flavor of misugaru, with each spot said to do it a little differently. Umu is worth trying as a humble local Jeju treat — a food that cooled down summers with seaweed, quite distinct from shellfish-based dishes like bomal or seongge.
GYULI's Tip · Umu is said to lose moisture and soften a little over time. It's said to be best enjoyed within the day it's made or the following day, sliced into soy milk broth or misugaru, for the coolest, springiest texture.